The Bulls crushed the Lakers last night in a 96-76 victory … in Summer League.
Either way, last night was an exciting affair, with No. 7 pick Coby White taking the floor alongside No. 38 pick Daniel Gafford.
Fortunately, thanks to our friends over at NBC Chicago Sports, we have a quick highlight reel of last night’s best moments!
https://twitter.com/NBCSBulls/status/1147360627763101696?s=20
I mean, I’d argue there is no better way for your two new rookies to start their NBA-careers with an alley-oop combo.
White and Gafford both immediately brought the Bulls a level of energy and physicality on the court that we haven’t seen in a while. Again, this is a Summer League roster, but to see the two run the floor like that was fun.
White sank a 19-footer on his first shot attempt of the night, but then reality set in as he missed his next six. The point guard showed some nice awareness while on the court, but eventually walked into the locker room at halftime with only seven points.
Questions around his defensive skillset have loomed over White’s head, but he stayed in front of his opponent well during the first half and throughout the game. Also, while every pass may not have landed, he showed signs of being able to thread the needle on certain passes.
During the second half, White was able to add 10 more points to his name, but it wasn’t necessarily a pretty look for the Bulls overall.
Bulls are 1-19 from 3 and up by 20.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 6, 2019
Hey, that’s summer league though.
On the other hand, Gafford has a pretty great night posting a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. His athleticism clearly stood out on the court, but it’s important to note that he wasn’t really facing any legitimate big man threat out there. He was all over the Lakers shooting an efficient 9-10 and also collecting four blocks on the night. Oh, and yeah, he certainly does run like a deer.
After the game, the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson caught up with White and Gafford. You can listen to their postgame remarks here:
Coby White postgame pic.twitter.com/NkIQExh18p
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 6, 2019
Daniel Gafford postgame pic.twitter.com/P35eRi3glf
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 6, 2019
Well, I’m ready to see more.
We have plenty of Summer League basketball coming our way over the next couple weeks, so get excited! The Bulls will be tipping-off again on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6:30 p.m. CT. If you want a look at their entire schedule, you can check out our previous post!